Have you browsed your App Store recently? The options are mind boggling. They range from having hours of fun with Solitaire to giving yourself an eye exam and everything you can possibly imagine in-between. Some eye exam apps are quite in-depth and require a smartphone as well as a computer or tablet device. These apps also require you to send information to a doctor for a fee, which is not typically covered by insurance. Sound like a good idea so far?
A couple of us decided to put two free apps to the test.
APP RESULTS
- 60% vision right eye, 69% vision left eye
- Potential optic nerve disease in left eye
- Nearsighted
- No astigmatism in left eye
- Pass or fail, this app gave few details
DOCTOR FINDINGS
- The app results are a little puzzling as they don’t equate to typical measurements. The patient is 20/20 on our visual acuity chart.
- With a fully dilated eye health exam, the patient shows no signs of disease.
- The patient has significant enough astigmatism in left eye to warrant glasses.
- The doctor explained findings from the front to the back of the eye.
Obviously, our results lacked any consistency. They also provided little detail and could have been alarming with the suggestion of a potential disease. If the goal was to send us running off to the nearest optometrist, it succeeded. I guess you get what you pay for with a free app.
Why should you get an eye exam from a doctor instead of an app?
Midwest Eye Consultants specializes in comprehensive eye exams. While your refraction (better 1 or 2 test) is a component of this exam, it is only a portion. Our main concern is the health of your eye. To get a true picture, dilation is necessary. Your pupil is the window to the inside of your eye. Making your pupil as big as we can allows the doctor a clearer view of the back (retina and optic nerve) of the eye. With this test, the doctor can identify many diseases such as glaucoma, diabetes, macular degeneration and even hypertension. Your doctor wants to create a plan of treatment for any disease prior to the discussion of glasses and/or contacts. If we solely rely on an app for diagnosis purposes, it very likely might miss one of these diseases that often come without symptoms until vision begins to decrease.
“I understand that many people are interested in saving time and money when it comes to medical care, but substituting an inaccurate, ill-conceived screener instead of a comprehensive eye examination is doing the patient a disservice. What you physically see is only a portion of what a quality eye exam is really about. We are concerned with the health and appearance of the eye which is paramount to maintaining your vision AND your ocular health.” – Craig Bonham, O.D. | Summit Eye Care, Fort Wayne, IN
So leave the eye exams to your friendly expert optometrist and enjoy your game of Solitaire with good vision! Schedule your appointment today.
Recently I have been thinking about getting an eye test because I don’t think my vision is working as well as it used to. I really appreciated how this article talked about making your pupil as big as we can allow the doctor a clearer view of the back. This is something that I never knew but found very helpful. https://www.peterdarcy.com.au/why-choose-us.html
It is interesting how doctors visits are becoming more and more technologically inclined. I think that this initial app provides a cool idea even if it doesn’t live up to its claims to perform a contact lense exam. It will be interesting how this technology advances.
Yes, technology definitely seems to play a part in almost every aspect of our lives now. The app concept is a cool idea indeed, but we recommend seeing your eye doctor to determine the complete health of your eyes.
As someone with extremely sensitive eyes, I am hoping that they come up with better ways to do these things than the “puff test” and dilation drops. I have seen a few high tech alternatives but I don’t think they’ve gotten to Indiana yet.
William, eye sensitivity is definitely a real issue. We are always looking at implementing the latest technology into our practices, and I also look forward to seeing how technology advances in the coming years.
In my opinion, it’s really cool that they’re making an app that could possibly replace eye exams! They could be way cheaper or even free! Sad that they’re not consistent with the doctors’ results though. I’m going to stick with my doctor for now.
Randy, a cool concept indeed, but there is so much more that goes into caring for the health of your eyes beyond visual acuity. We think it’s a great decision to stick with your doctor.
My mother in law can’t see very well. I like how you mention when doing an eye exam the doctor explains the issue with details. Thank you for the information. I’ll recommend my wife to take her mom to an eye doctor so they can check her eyes.
Thanks for the comment Jay!
Worth reading! Thanks for a pretty awesome explanation. This is a great article, and something I think needs to be communicated more often.
Thank You for sharing such a nice and informative blog and your knowledge with us.
There are things you can do naturally to boost your eye health and therefore your vision:
1. Eat a balanced and healthy diet rich in antioxidants and vitamin A.
2. Get enough sleep.
3. Exercise regularly.
4. Protect your eyes from the sun.
5. Wear eye protection when doing anything that could potentially lead to eye injury.